After quite some time exploring the forums and galleries, gathering images and tutorials for inspiration and knowledge pertaining to cartography, I have finally decided to create an account and further that knowledge and enhance my skills as a cartographer.

In terms of my experience with cartography itself, it can be best described as "novice level." I have created some very basic (and I emphasize very basic) maps in the past, but nothing truly detailed. My maps have usually never gone beyond a basic outline of a world that I would draw or tinkering a little bit with Fractal Terrains Pro until I found a random world that I liked, adding in very basic symbols onto the map in GIMP. Sure, these results were good enough (although, being a perfectionist, they weren't good enough to me) for something basic (say, for example, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that places more graphical emphasis on sites that are smaller than a continent), but I always searched on Google for fantasy world maps for inspiration.

Nine times out of ten, I would always be redirected to the Cartographer's Guild. And, ten times out of ten, I would always be impressed with the map that I had seen on the image results of Google (whether it be for the style of map, the level of detail of the map, or any number of things that I could list here that would make this post far too long.) Most of the time, I would stare in awe at these maps, half wondering how these maps could have been made, and half disappointed in myself for not taking up the initiative to improve my artistic and cartography abilities to create richly detailed and aesthetically pleasing maps.

Well, I've decided to be proactive and invest in improving my skills so that way I may be able to develop better maps than I have in the past.

Have a good day, and it is very nice to meet you all!

arsheesh

08-20-2013, 10:43 PM

Welcome to the Guild ChampionWhatever! Your story sounds very familiar. There are lots of members here who found the Guild in the webosphere while looking for inspiration or tutorials to aid them in creating maps for their RPG games. I was one of them. I can tell you from experience that the tutorials here enabled me to create maps I would never have thought possible (for me) prior to coming here. Stick around, work your way through some tutorials and in time I think you too will be impressed with what you are able to accomplish.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

anasalinas105

08-21-2013, 05:04 PM

Hi and welcome!! :D

fotografia ecuador (http://claudiavallejo87.wix.com/photography)

Veluux

08-22-2013, 01:53 AM

First I want to say that I love your username. It's extremely clever. Second, I know exactly how you feel! I have GMed several text-based RPGs and always struggle to find good maps to help illustrate the setting! Hopefully I can refine my photoshop skills here well enough that I can create my own professional maps for both my small RPG games, as well as my novels.